I E Evangelou1, A J du Plessis2, G Vezina1, R Noeske3, C Limperopoulos4. 1. From the Divisions of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology (I.E.E., G.V., C.L.) Departments of Pediatrics (I.E.E. A.J.D.P., G.V., C.L.) Radiology (I.E.E., G.V.), The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC. 2. Fetal and Transitional Medicine (A.J.D.P., C.L.), Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC Departments of Pediatrics (I.E.E. A.J.D.P., G.V., C.L.). 3. Applied Science Laboratory, GE Healthcare, Berlin, Germany (R.N.). 4. From the Divisions of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology (I.E.E., G.V., C.L.) Fetal and Transitional Medicine (A.J.D.P., C.L.), Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC Departments of Pediatrics (I.E.E. A.J.D.P., G.V., C.L.) climpero@childrensnational.org.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: (1)H-MRS provides a noninvasive way to study fetal brain maturation at the biochemical level. The purpose of this study was to characterize in vivo metabolic maturation in the healthy fetal brain during the second and third trimester using (1)H-MRS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Healthy pregnant volunteers between 18 and 40 weeks gestational age underwent single voxel (1)H-MRS. MR spectra were retrospectively corrected for motion-induced artifacts and quantified using LCModel. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between absolute metabolite concentrations and ratios of total NAA, Cr, and Cho to total Cho and total Cr and gestational age. RESULTS: Two hundred four spectra were acquired from 129 pregnant women at mean gestational age of 30.63 ± 6 weeks. Total Cho remained relatively stable across the gestational age (r(2) = 0.04, P = .01). Both total Cr (r(2) = 0.60, P < .0001) as well as total NAA and total NAA to total Cho (r(2) = 0.58, P < .0001) increased significantly between 18 and 40 weeks, whereas total NAA to total Cr exhibited a slower increase (r(2) = 0.12, P < .0001). Total Cr to total Cho also increased (r(2) = 0.53, P < .0001), whereas total Cho to total Cr decreased (r(2) = 0.52, P < .0001) with gestational age. The cohort was also stratified into those that underwent MRS in the second and third trimesters and analyzed separately. CONCLUSIONS: We characterized metabolic changes in the normal fetal brain during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and derived normative metabolic indices. These reference values can be used to study metabolic maturation of the fetal brain in vivo.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: (1)H-MRS provides a noninvasive way to study fetal brain maturation at the biochemical level. The purpose of this study was to characterize in vivo metabolic maturation in the healthy fetal brain during the second and third trimester using (1)H-MRS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Healthy pregnant volunteers between 18 and 40 weeks gestational age underwent single voxel (1)H-MRS. MR spectra were retrospectively corrected for motion-induced artifacts and quantified using LCModel. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between absolute metabolite concentrations and ratios of total NAA, Cr, and Cho to total Cho and total Cr and gestational age. RESULTS: Two hundred four spectra were acquired from 129 pregnant women at mean gestational age of 30.63 ± 6 weeks. Total Cho remained relatively stable across the gestational age (r(2) = 0.04, P = .01). Both total Cr (r(2) = 0.60, P < .0001) as well as total NAA and total NAA to total Cho (r(2) = 0.58, P < .0001) increased significantly between 18 and 40 weeks, whereas total NAA to total Cr exhibited a slower increase (r(2) = 0.12, P < .0001). Total Cr to total Cho also increased (r(2) = 0.53, P < .0001), whereas total Cho to total Cr decreased (r(2) = 0.52, P < .0001) with gestational age. The cohort was also stratified into those that underwent MRS in the second and third trimesters and analyzed separately. CONCLUSIONS: We characterized metabolic changes in the normal fetal brain during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and derived normative metabolic indices. These reference values can be used to study metabolic maturation of the fetal brain in vivo.
Authors: Lidia M Nagae-Poetscher; Michael McMahon; Nancy Braverman; William T Lawrie; Ali Fatemi; Mahaveer Degaonkar; Alena Horská; Martin G Pomper; Vaddapuram P Chacko; Peter B Barker Journal: J Magn Reson Imaging Date: 2004-09 Impact factor: 4.813
Authors: Adam J Wolfberg; Julian N Robinson; Robert Mulkern; Frank Rybicki; Adre J Du Plessis Journal: Am J Obstet Gynecol Date: 2007-01 Impact factor: 8.661
Authors: Alexander Sartorius; Patrick Lugenbiel; Magdalena M Mahlstedt; Gabriele Ende; Patrick Schloss; Barbara Vollmayr Journal: J Neurosci Methods Date: 2008-05-08 Impact factor: 2.390
Authors: Stacey J Ellery; Padma Murthi; Paul A Della Gatta; Anthony K May; Miranda L Davies-Tuck; Greg M Kowalski; Damien L Callahan; Clinton R Bruce; Euan M Wallace; David W Walker; Hayley Dickinson; Rod J Snow Journal: Int J Mol Sci Date: 2020-01-26 Impact factor: 5.923